Toy



C. AYALA July ll, 1961 TOY Filed Jan. 28, 1959 United States PatentOffice Patented July 1l, 1961 C cago, Filed Jan. 28, 1959, Ser. No.789,661

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 124-13) This invention relates to toys, and moreparticularly to a missile-launching toy.

The invention provides an air-propelled toy rocket and launcher whichcan be charged with pressure air, aimed and fired, all the while beingheld in the hands of a child, and which simulates realism through thecreation off a blast-off noise effect which occurs simultaneously withthe release of the rocket.

It is the object of the invention to provide a novel rocket toy whichmay be readily carried about and operated by a child without the need ofexpandable supplies. A further object of the invention is the crea-tionof a toy which simulates realism to a degree attractive .to children bycombining action `and sound, and which may be economically constructedand will provide reliable performance over a long period of time.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, and from the accompanying drawings whichillustrate one embodiment of atoy constructed in accordance with thisinvention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of a rocket launching toy which embodiesthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the toy shown in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along theline 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

As seen especially in FIGURES 1 and 2, the illus-v trated toy comprisesa missile or rocket 11 which is seated in a hand-held launcher 13 fromwhich it is launched by a charge of pressure air accumulated by ahand-operated pump mechanism in the launcher. More particw larly, therocket and launcher are provided with interfitting, complementary partswhich lock the rocket and align it for initial guidance in its flight,and which also seal the base of the rocket to permit the charging of therocket with pressure air.

The sealing engagement of the rocket with the launcher is self-releasingupon the accumulation in the rocket of air at ta predetermined pressure,whereupon the rocket is propelled from the launcher by the rapid escapefrom its base of the pressurized air in the rocket body. In addition,the releasing of the rocket from the launcher also creates a loud reportwhich simulates blasting-off of the rocket and which further increasesthe attractiveness of the toy.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the rocket proper comprises an elongated, hollowbody 15 which may be of molded plastic construction, and which is closedat its forward end and open at its rearward end. Of course, the rocketmay be fancifully shaped as desired, but for the sake of stable ight, ispreferably constructed along the lines shown. In particular, the rocketbody 15 is generally of circular cross section tapering to aforwardly-disposed rounded nose, which provides a Very desirable safetyfeature.

Extending longitudinally along the sides of the rocket are severalequally spaced vanes or ns 17 which act to stiien the elongated rocketbody and guide the rockets flight. The vanes 17 terminate forwardly ofthe open rearward end 19 of the rocket body which is resilientlydeformable and which includes an outwardly directed peripheral collar orflange Z1, the outer edge of which is preferably chamfered, as indicatedat 29 in FIGURE 2.

The rocket launcher 13 is also preferably and economically constructedof plastic, and includes a fancifully designed air pump 23 which carriesat its discharge end a bell-shaped rocket receiver 25. The receiver 25is generally of circular cross section, having its small end cementedIto the air pump to form an air-tight joint, and having at its largeopen end or mouth an inwardly directed lip or rim 27, the inner diameterof which corresponds with the outer diameter of the base of the rocket.

The rocket is inserted into the receiver by forcing its base end intothe mouth of the receiver, entry being eased by the aforementionedchamfered edge on the ange 21. When the rocket is seated, as shown inFIGURE 2, the anges 21 and 27 on the rocket and receiver areinterengaged, and the rocket is aligned for llight from |the launcher.Furthermore, the receiver seals the open end of the rocket and maintainsthe seal until the pressure built up in the rocket body is sufficient toovercome the restraint of the interengaged anges 21 and 27, thus topermit the escape of the rocket.

The air pump 23 which provides pressure air to the rocket comprisesgenerally a cylinder 31 and a movable plunger 33 carried therein. Thecylinder 31 is formed with a forward, transverse wall .35 having anopening 37 through which pressure air is directed from the air pump into-the rocket. The plunger 33 includes a piston 39 carried on a piston rod41 which is of generally crossshaped, cross section and which has arearwardly disposed and attractively executed operating handle 43.

Support of the piston rod 41 toward the rear of the cylinder andalignment of the handle 43 to maintain the decorative motif of the 'toyare provided by a iin-bearing, after-piece or handle guard 45 which iscemented to the cylinder and provides a transverse wall 47 at therearward end of the cylinder 31. The wall 47 has a generallycross-shaped opening 49 therein through which the piston rod 41 extends.As seen particularly in FIGURE 4, the opening 49 and the piston rod 41are somewhat mismatched to afford free passage of air into the pump,while `at the same time, preventing angular movement of the handlerelative to the remainder of the launcher.

Entry of air from the rearward portion of the cylinder 31 to thepressure side of the plunger 33 is provided by a valve arrangement whichincludes slidable mounting of the piston 39 on the forward end of thepiston rod 41 and provision of a port or passageway 51 which extendsthrough the piston rod and which is opened and closed in response tomovement of the piston 39 relative to the rod 41. More particularly, asseen in FIGURE 5, the inner end of the piston rod 41 is formed with asection 53 of reduced diameter which has an axial bore 55 communieatingwith a series of radial bores 57. In turn, the piston is formed with ahole S9 which is slidably engaged by the reduced diameter piston rodsection 53. The piston 39 can be maintained on the piston rod endsection 53 by any suitable means and in this case, the free end of thesection is formed to provide an abutment 61 which, together with theshoulder 63 formed at the other end of the section, limit the travel ofthe piston relative to the piston rod.

Thus, during the return or withdrawal stroke, the piston moves intoengagement with the abutment 61 and the radial bores are open to thenon-pressure side of the cylinder to thereby allow passage of air to thepressure side of the piston. On the other hand, during the pressurestroke, the piston is seated against the shoulder 63 closing the radialbores S7 from communication with the non-pressure side of the cylinderand the air drawn into the pump on the Withdrawal stroke is forced intothe body of the rocket.

The pressure air delivered to the rocket from the pump is retained inthe rocket by a check valve in the launcher. One form of valve which hasbeen found to be both effective and reliable comprises a valve member 65which is located in the receiver and which is formed from a somewhatexible plastic sheet. As shown particularly in FIGURES 2 and 3, thevalve member 65 is generally in the form of a cross and is dished in itscentral portion 67 to provide a slightly convex surface on the sidefacing the opening 37 between the receiver and the cylinder. As shown,positioning of the valve member with the dished portion 67 in generalalignment with the opening 37 is accomplished by engagement of the endedges of the cross forming legs with the inner cylindrical wall surfaceof the receiver.

The air discharged from the pump by the pressure stroke of the plungerdisplaces the valve member from the opening 37 to permit entry ofpressure air into the rocket. On the other hand, during the returnstroke, the pressure air within the rocket again seats the dished,central portion of the valve member over the opening 37.

In the operation of the toy, the rocket 11 is rst seated in the receiver2S by pressing the open end 19 of the rocket into the mouth of thereceiver to establish airtight engagement between the receiver rim 27and the base end of the rocket. As previously noted, this engagementalso provides for alignment of the rocket with the launcher. Theassembled rocket and launcher may be held by grasping the centralportion of the air pump 23 in one hand and by grasping the pump handle43 with the other hand to operate the pump while aiming the rocket.

ln this regard, the rocket and launcher preferably are constructed sothat the volume of the interior of the missile and receiver are soproportioned to the capacity of the pump so that a predetermined numberof strokes are required to attain a pressure sufficient to eiect releaseof the rocket from the launcher. For example, if the rocket and launcherwere constructed so that the rocket would be released incident to thethird stroke of the plunger, then the rocket could be pre-charged withpressure air in an amount resulting from two strokes of the plunger.Then, when the rocket and launcher are aimed, the rocket will bereleased incident to the next pressure stroke of the plunger.

Of course, if desired, the rocket and launcher could be proportioned sothat one stroke of the plunger would release the rocket for night. Thiscould be accomplished by increasing the size of the pump or employing asmaller rocket, or a rocket having a rather small reaction or pressurecavity therein.

In any event, the illustrated hollow rocket construction, having arelatively large interior volume, is preferred as this permits theintroduction, under pressure, of a large quantity of air. Thus, when therocket is released from the launcher, the rapid expansion of this largevolume of air will create a greater sustained thrust and therefore,higher initial velocity and a longer flight path.

Incident to release of the rocket from the launcher, there is alsoproduced a loud noise effect which occurs incident to the rapid releaseof the pressure air, and which realistically simulates the blasting-offof a rocket.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my prior application,Serial No. 701,123 which is entitled Toy, and which was filed onDecember 6, 1957.

Numerous changes and modications may be made in the disclosedconstruction to achieve certain of the advantages mentioned herein,without departing from the principles of this invention. Variousfeatures of the i nvention are set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A missile launching toy comprising a missile and a launcher adaptedto be held in the hands for aiming and firing operation, said missilecomprising an elongated hollow body having a resiliently deformable openrearward end including a laterally outwardly extending collar, saidlauncher including an air pump and a rigid missile receiver tixed at thedelivery end of said air pump, said receiver including an openingtherein circumscribed by a rigid rim directed inwardly of said openingand located in forwardly spaced relation to the delivery end of said airpump, said rim having inner dimensions corresponding to the outerdimensions of said rearward end of said missile body at the base of saidcollar, said collar having outer ydimensions in excess of the innerdimensions of said rim, said collar and said rearward end of saidmissile body being forcibly passable through said opening to within saidreceiver to emplace said rearward end of said missile body in engagementwith said rim so as to provide an air-tight pressure chamber defined bysaid missile and said receiver and so as to position said missile bodyin forwardly extending relation to said receiver, a check valve at thedelivery end of said pump automatically operable to allow pressure airto flow from said pump to said pressure chamber and to prevent pressureair from llowing in the opposite direction, said pump being operable tocharge said pressure chamber, including said hollow missile body, with aquantity of air developing a pressure capable of deforming said rearwardend of said missile body so as to enable its passage outwardly of saidopening and, at the same time, producing sufficient reaction thrust fromthe charged air in said hollow body to propel said missile from saidreceiver with an accompanying loud report.

2. A missile launching toy comprising a missile and a launcher adaptedto be held in the hands for aiming and firing operation, said missilecomprising an elongated hollow body having a resiliently deformable openrearward end including a laterally outwardly extending collar, saidlauncher including an air pump and a rigid missile receiver ixed at thedelivery end of said air pump, said receiver including an openingtherein circumscribed by a rigid rirn directed inwardly of said openingand located in forwardly spaced relation to the delivery end of said airpump, said rim having inner dimensions corresponding to the outerdimensions of said rearward end of said missile body at the base of saidcollar, said collar having outer dimensions in excess of the innerdimensions of said rim, said collar and said rearward end of saidmissile body being forcibly passable through said opening to within saidreceiver to emplace said rearward end of said missile body in engagementwith said rim so as to provide an air-tight pressure chamber defined bysaid missile and said receiver and so as to position said missile bodyin forwardly extending relation to said receiver solely through theinterengagement of said rearward end of said missile body with said rim,a check valve at the delivery end of said pump automatically operable toallow pressure air to flow from said pump to said pressure chamber andto prevent pressure air from flowing in the opposite direction, saidpump being operable to charge said pressure chamber, including saidhollow missile body, with a quantity of air developing a pressurecapable of deforming said rearward end of said missile body so as toenable its passage outwardly of said opening and, at the same time,producing sufficient reaction thrust from the charged air in said hollowbody to propel said missile from said receiver with an accompanying loudreport.

3. A missile launching toy comprising a missile and a launcher adaptedto be held in the hands for aiming and tiring operation, said missilecomprising an elongated, hollow body having a generally cylindrical andresiliently deformable, open rearward end including a laterallyoutwardly extending collar, said launcher including an air pump and arigid missile receiver iixed at the delivery end of said air pump, saidreceiver including an opening therein circumscribed by a rigid rimdirected inwardly of said opening and located in forwardly spacedrelation to the delivery end of said air pump, said rim having an innerdiameter corresponding to the outer diameter of said rearward end ofsaid missile body at the base of said collar, said collar having anouter diameter in excess of the inner diameter of said rim and achamfered outer periphery on its rearward side, said rearward end ofsaid missile body being forcibly passable with the -aid of saidchamfered periphery through said opening to within said receiver toemplace said rearward end of said missile body in engagement with saidrim so as to provide an air-tight pressure chamber defined by saidmissile and said receiver and so as to position said missile body inforwardly extending relation to said receiver solely through theinterengagement of said rearward end of said missile with said rim, acheck valve at the delivery end of said pump automatically operable toallow pressure air to iiow from said pump to said pressure chamber andto prevent pressure air from flowing n the opposite direction, said pumpbeing operable to charge said pressure chamber, including said hollowmissile body, with a quantity of air developing a pressure capable ofdeforming said rearward end of said missile body so as to enable itspassage outwardly of said opening and, at the same time, producingsufficient reaction thrust from the charged air in said hollow body tosimultaneously propel said missile from said receiver with anaccompanying loud report.

4. A missile launching toy comprisi-ng a missile and a -launcher adaptedto be held in the hands for aiming and tiring operation, said missilecomprising an elongated, hollow body having Va generally cylindrical andresiliently deformable, open rearward endincluding a laterally outwardlyextending collar, said launcher including an elongated air pump and arigid missile receiver fixed at the delivery end of said air pump, saidair pump including a cylinder and a plunger movable in said cylinder,said cylinder having an aperture therein at the delivery endcommunicating with said receiver, said receiver including an openingtherein circumscribed by a rigid rim directed inwardly of said openingin a plane perpendicular to the stroke of said plunger and located inforwardly spaced relation to the delivery end of said air pump, said rimhaving a cylindrical inner surface with an inner diameter correspondingto the outer diameter of said rearward end of said missile body at thebase of said collar, said inner diameter being located ygenerallyconcentric with the axis of said air pump, said collar having an outerdiameter in excess of the inner diameter of said rim, said rearward endof said missile body being forcibly passable through said opening towithin said receiver to emplace the outer cylindrical surface of saidrearward end of said missile body in engagement with the innercylindrical surface of said rim, and to emplace the facing side surfacesof said collar and said rim in engagement so 4as to provide an airtightpressure chamber defined by said missile and said receiver and so as toposition said missile body in forwardly extending relation to saidreceiver solely through the interengagement of said rearward end of saidmissile body Wit-l1 said rim, said receiver supporting therein aflexible member in covering relation to said aperture, whereby saidmember is displaced `from said covering relation to said aperture duringthe pressure stroke of said plunger to admit pressure air within saidpressure chamber, and whereby the air pressure in said chamber seatssaid member in covering relation to said aperture during withdrawal ofthe plunger so as to prevent the escape of pressure air, said pump beingoperable to charge said pressure chamber, including said hollow missilebody, with a quantity of air developing ya pressure capable of deformingsaid rearward end of said missile body so as to enable its passageoutwardly of said opening and, at the same time, producing suflicientreaction thrust from the charged air in said hollow body to propel saidmissile vfrom said receiver with an `accompanying loud report.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,379,492 Wagner May 24, 1921 2,273,678 Webby Feb. 17, 1942 2,409,653Amdur Oct. 22, 1946 2,449,187 Walters Sept. 14, 1948 2,733,699 KrinskyFeb. 7, 1956 2,759,297 Lewis Aug. 21, 1956 2,853,991 McLain Sept. 30,1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 161,579 Australia Mar. 1, 1955

